The invention relates to an active-protection apparatus for spraying banknotes and valuables with a marking fluid.
The apparatus can be for example applied to safes and automatic banknote and valuables dispensers generally known as xe2x80x9cautomatic teller machinesxe2x80x9d or ATMs and is of the type comprising at least one tank for a marking fluid, canalizations extending between the tank and the banknotes or valuables to be marked and dispensing means to be activated upon command and adapted to cause feeding of a marking-fluid flow through the canalizations.
It is known that safes, safe-deposit boxes and cabinets and above all ATMs are often internally provided with active-protection apparatus capable of spraying banknotes and valuables contained therein with a marking fluid in case of effraction attempts.
The marking fluid makes banknotes and valuables unusable and in this way effractions are greatly discouraged. In addition, it is possible to remedy the occurred damages, because the marked banknotes and valuables remained in the ATMs can be recognized and replaced with unmarked ones.
For holding the marking fluid, the apparatus in question comprise tanks generally defined by bottles under pressure placed at the bottom of said ATMs and connected through various pipes and canalizations either to the compartments or drawers or to cases or protected spaces in which banknotes and valuables are kept.
Typically these protected spaces are at a raised position with respect to the bottles and therefore the canalizations extend from the bottom and branch out into different directions so as to reach all points to be protected, all drawers containing banknotes and valuables for example.
Said active-protection apparatus are completed with various dispensing means, valve elements and/or propelling elements for example that, in case of an alarm or access procedures to the banknotes or valuables with non admissible modalities enable or cause discharge of the marking fluid from the tanks and flowing of same along the canalizations, until the banknotes and valuables.
Different electronic and sensor means are provided for control and actuation of said dispensing means.
The active-protection apparatus briefly described above are very satisfactory from an operating point of view, but they have drawbacks of some importance. For instance, disconnecting and reconnecting of the canalizations or pipes of the active-protection apparatus, when the banknote-containing drawers or the like are pulled out for maintenance or supply and then pushed in, are relatively complicated and critical operations.
They greatly slow down the managing operations connected with the ATMs and are also a cause of loss of safety when they are not carried out with the necessary accuracy.
Another drawback is connected with the fact that the active-protection apparatus too must be arranged and housed in a manner adapted not to make them vulnerable. Therefore, there is a need for them to be provided with passive-protection devices avoiding cutting of pipes, breaking of bottles or cutoff of the different connections.
A further drawback of the presently available active-protection apparatus resides in their bulkiness. In fact, as a result of being in search of a minimum outer volume of the ATMs associated with a maximum utilization of the inner space of same, the available space for said apparatus has been reduced to minimum values. In some cases it is possible to arrange them only if a very careful utilization of the inner niches is made.
It should be finally recognized that a basic drawback of the present active-protection apparatus for ATMs is connected with the fact that the same are specifically designed for operating when the banknotes are at the inside of the ATMs themselves.
Therefore the banknotes or valuables in general are not protected during the transportation operations or the displacements carried out for filling or setting up said ATMs.
Under this situation the technical task underlying the invention is to conceive an active-protection apparatus capable of obviating the mentioned drawbacks. Within the scope of this technical task it is an aim of the invention to devise an active-protection apparatus adapted to be set up in an easy and immediate manner, and that does not need specific passive-protection elements.
It is another aim of the invention to devise an active-protection apparatus to be also used during the operations for transporting or displacing banknotes or valuables and capable of ensuring the greatest operability under any situation. A still further aim of the invention is to devise a versatile apparatus that can be easily adapted to the users"" different requirements.
The technical task mentioned and the aims specified are achieved by an active-protection apparatus for spraying banknotes and valuables with a marking fluid, comprising: a tank for the marking fluid, canalizations extending between said tank and the banknotes and valuables to be sprayed, and dispensing means to cause feeding of a flow of marking fluid under pressure along said canalizations, said tank being stiff and of a box-shaped configuration and internally having a cavity housing the marking fluid, at least part of said canalizations and at least part of said dispensing means, so as to define a spraying unit to be positioned contiguous to the banknotes and valuables to be sprayed, said tank having a bottom wall defining a work surface facing the banknotes and valuables and said canalizations opening at said work surface.